CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF DOGMA IN THE PERIOD OF THE MENDICANT ORDERS, TILL THE BEGINNING OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

If in this chapter we again direct our attention in the first instance to the history
of ecclesiastical piety, of ecclesiastical law and of
ecclesiastical science, it is less with the view of understanding the
changes which dogma passed through in this period, than in order to show
how the conditions under which it stood served to make it ever more stable and
to protect it from all attack. It must, above all, be shown how it was
possible that the enormous revolution of the sixteenth century — keeping out of
view the Anabaptist movements — stayed its course before the old dogma. This can
only be understood, however, when we consider what confirmations dogma
received from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century. These confirmations were
a consequence of the peculiar history of piety, of ecclesiastical law and of
science in this period. All of these sought, not for an “unmoved mover” in the
background — for dogma was simply no longer a “mover” — but for an immovable
basis. Mysticism, the development of ecclesiastical law, Nominalist
theology — all of them could only develop themselves on the basis of an
authoritative dogma, or, say, could only protect themselves on that basis
against dangerous consequences.

It is
only in the second place that there fall to be considered how far the general
conditions produced also certain changes in dogma, then how far an
individual piety developed itself, how from this piety the need for
individual certainty of salvation arose, and how this need gathered itself into
a mighty force. Of itself the force was strong enough to demand, and to carry
out, a revision of the entire ecclesiastical tradition. But it will
appear in the last Book (see below) that it was impeded in its unfolding by
the still greater power of a fifteen century long development.